Door latch bolt assembly



Oct. 31, 1961 F. ERICKSON DOOR LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 17, 1958 fl'azzcz's Afrik/iSO/Z. Wm

orrzeys- United States Patent 3,006,675 DOOR LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY FrancisL. Erickson, Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford,11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 715,832 2Claims. (Cl. 292-337) The present invention relates to a latch assemblyand more particularly to a novel non-mortise type latch unit for a doorlock. 7

Among the more important objects of the present invention is theprovision of a novel latch bolt unit or assembly capable of beingmounted in a drilled opening in the edge of a door or closure andprovided with novel means for self-anchoring the unit in said opening.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novelnon-mortised latch assembly for a lockset in which the assembly isbodily inserted into an opening in the edge of a wooden door, includinga housing containing the latch bolt and novel means on said housingintermediate its ends for positively anchoring the assembly when forcedinto said opening in the edge of the door.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novelnon-mortised latch bolt unit, including an assembled latch bolt andhousing for a lockset, the latch bolt unit being insertable into acounterbored, drilled opening which conformably receives the completeassembly within the edge of the door, and novel means encompassing thehousing for anchoring the unit in the opening without the use of screwsor other attaching means.

Unlike prior types of latch bolts requiring a mortise for receiving alarge and generally rectangular face plate and screws or the likeattaching means for anchoring the face plate in the edge of the door,the present unit is received wholly within a counterbored cylindricalopening prepared by a step drill in a single operation, with the latchunit pressed into and retained within the opening without the use ofscrews or other external attaching means.

In the present novel assembly, a sleeve having spaced, outwardlyprojecting anchoring tabs is secured upon the latch bolt housing, andwhen the assembly is pressed into the preformed opening in the edge ofthe door these tabs bite into or are embedded in the wood about theopening to securely anchor and retain the assembly in the opening. Thusno exposed screws or other fastening means are required and theinstallation can be accomplished in less time and with less eiiort andexpense than with prior mortise-type latches.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novelpre-assembled latch bolt unit adapted to be inserted into an opening inthe edge of a door and having circumferentially arranged, self-anchoringprojections on the interior of the door and hidden from view, theseprojections being so arranged as to embed in the wood of the door aboutthe opening when the unit is pressed into this opening when beinginstalled.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity,efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such furtherobjects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear andare inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an assembled lock or latchconstruction embodying the present novel latch bolt unit assembled inthe edge of a door.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the novel latch bolt unit removed fromthe door.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in horizontal cross section through the latchbolt housing but with the latch bolt and its operating mechanismremoved, and showing the 3,006,675 Patented Oct. 31, 1961 novel mannerin which the housing, anchoring sleeve and the face plate are assembledin an opening in the edge of a door.

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the novel latch bolt housing ofFIG. 3 removed from the opening in the door and rotated through an arcof approximately 90.

FIG. 5 is a view in end elevation of the latch bolt housing, the Viewbeing taken from the right-hand end of FIG. 4.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawing and to theillustrative embodiment shown, the present invention comprises a novellatch bolt unit including a latch bolt housing and a latch bolt for alock construction or lockset for a door or other closure 10 permittingaccess or passage between rooms or into and out of a room or otherenclosure. Such a lock construction preferably includes a knob 11 at oneside or the exterior of the door and a knob 12 at the other side or theinterior of the door, and a housing 13 mounted within a transverse bore14 in the door and provided with an escutcheon 15 at each end of thehousing and opposite sides of the door.

The operating mechanism for actuating a latch bolt 16 in a latch bolthousing 17 is not disclosed as it forms no part of the presentinvention, but may be generally of the type disclosed in the NorthPatent No. 2,733,945, of February 7, 1956, where rotation of either knobpermits free access from one room to another, or it may be generally ofthe type disclosed in any one of the North et a1. Patents No. 2,733,496of February 7, 1956; No. 2,738,665 of March 20, 1956; or No. 2,739,472of March 27, 1956, in which the inner knob may be provided with either apush or a turn button for locking the outer knob against free rotationas disclosed in said patents, and the outer knob having means forretracting the latch bolt in an emergency or by means of a key-operatedtumbler lock.

The novel latch bolt housing 17 of the present invention is of thenon-mortise type and permits quicker and more economical installation ofthe housing and latch bolt assembly than can be effected with the usualmortised face plate anchored in the edge of the door by screws in themanner shown in the above recited patents.

The latch bolt housing 17 receives the latch bolt 16 which may beretracted by mechanism in the housings 13 and 17 upon rotation of aknob, such mechanism depressing or pushing against the projected end ofa longitudinally movable pusher or slide member 18 slidably mounted andguided in the slotted reduced neck 19 of the bolt housing 17 and throughmechanism of the type shown in the above patents retracting the latchbolt 16.

The present invention provides means for anchoring the latch bolthousing 17 containing the latch bolt 16 and its retracting mechanism ina drilled opening 21 in the edge of the door 10. Such means comprises aretainer sleeve 22 encompassing the housing 17 and provided at its outerend with an annular or peripheral flange 23 held in abutting relationwith an annular or peripheral flange 24 on the adjacent end of thehousing 17.

The flanges 23 and 24 are encompassed by an annular lip 25 on thecircumference or periphery of a face plate 26 and bent or spun overthese abutting flanges, the face plate 26 being slotted at 27 to permitlongitudinal movement therethrough of the latching end 28 of the latchbolt 16. This circular face plate conformably covers the forward openend of the housing 17 and is transversely slotted at 29 and therebetweenprovided with an inturned tongue 31 received in aligned slots in theflanges 23 and 24, thereby locking these flanges and the lip 25 againstrotation.

providing the counterbore or stepped enlargement 32 conformablyreceiving the annular lip 25 and contained i-flanges ,24 and 23' on thehousing 17 and retaining sleeve .22, respectively. The retaining sleeve22 is provided with a plurality of spaced, outwardly projecting andsubstantially triangular. tabs,-tongues or projections 33 adapted toextend into or embed themselves in'the wood about the drilled opening21. By means of these tabs or tongues,

the latch bolt assembly is securely anchored in the drilled opening 211with theface plate 26 disposed flush with'the edge of the door with itslip 25 conformably received in the counterbore 32; The front edge of thelatch bolt assembly is shown beveled and the face plate inclined tomatch the bevel of the edge of the standard door.

'forced into the opening. This novel assembly with its anchoring meansrequires no screws or. auxiliary attaching means and neither does itrequire the usual mortised face plate. a e 7 Having thus disclosed theinvention, I claim: 1. In a door latch bolt assembly for a lockset inwhich said assembly is bodily received in a cylindrical opening in theedge of a Wooden door, said latch bolt assembly including a latch bolthousing having a cylindrical part and a latch bolt contained therein, acylindrical sleeve mounted on and telescoping one end of saidcylindrical part of the housing and provided with circumferentiallyspaced outwardly and forwardly projectingtabs, said sleeve and housingeach having at one .end a radially outwardly projecting flange with theflanges in abutting relation, and a circular face plate bridging theouter end of said housing and provided with an annular lip encompassingand joining the flanges on the telescoping ends of said housing andsleeve and having a slot for passage of the latch bolt, said latch boltassembly when installed in an opening in the edge of the door having itsface plate received in said opening so as to lie flush with the edge ofthe door and said tabs are anchored in the wood about said opening andprovide the sole retaining means for said assembly.

2. In a door latch bolt assembly for a lockset as set .forth in claim 1,in which said circular face plate provides an annular enlargement at theouter end of said housing with said housing and enlargement beingconformably receiving in said opening. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,829,814 Schlage Nov. 3, 1931 2,016,196 Handfield -4 Oct. 1, 19352,103,987 'Kistner Dec. 28, 1937 2,508,702 Baume May 23, 1950 2,578,873Young Dec. 18, 1951 2,703,725 Vagi Mar. 8, 1955 UNITED :STATES- PATENT.OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. e ooe me I October 31. 1961Francis L Erickson It is hereby certified that error appears in theabove numbered patent requiring correction and that the said LettersPatent should read as corrected below.

Column 2 line 30 for "2,733 496" read 2 733 946 column 4 line 21 for"receiving" .read received a Signed and sealedihis 10th day of April1962.,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER AVID L LADD A g Offlcel' 7 Commissioner of Patents

